Is There A Drug To Help People Stay Healthier, Longer? Two Colorado Profs Say It's Possible

Audio: Karyn Hamilton and Ben Miller speak with Ryan Warner

Two Colorado researchers are studying plant-based compounds that could delay disease and help people live healthier lives as they grow older.

(Courtesy Colorado State University)

As science advances, there's reason to believe humans will live longer in the future. And two professors from Colorado State University think they're on the way to finding a plant-based compound that could help people stay healthier as they grow old.

The two worked with LifeVantage Corp to test a compound of plant-based substances called Protandim to see if they protect the cells of mice against the stressors that lead to aging. They found the compound successfully extended the median lives of male mice but not females.

The pair is now trying to find a new combination of substances that benefits both male and female mice. Eventually, they hope to help humans live healthier lives into old age.

The research is part of a project funded by the National Institutes of Health that uses mouse models to find treatments that could ultimately extend the human lifespan and delay disease.